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Post by snacky on Mar 13, 2014 7:23:20 GMT
I thought that Murdoch In the Corner established George had a future as a billionaire because he bought early shares in IBM. Today I thought I spotted an anachronism. There was no IBM until 1924. None of the companies that merged into the conglomerate that became IBM even had "Business Machines" in their name: If CTR was founded in 1911, even the Canadian subsidiary would have been founded after the time of George's stock purchases. I looked at the list of companies that merged into IBM on Wikipedia and found no "Business Machines": en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitions_by_IBM#Precursors_1889_-_1910The closest plausible one is Tabulating Machine Company, INC (1896) I took a closer look at the stock certificate itself and found the MM propmeisters pulled a fast one. The certificate is not for International Business Machines but simply Business Machines Company, INC. If I'm reading it correctly, George bought 100 shares at 10 cents a share. That's quite a big investment for George's salary. However, one has to wonder where his money went: it didn't seem to go to IBM. I can't find a company by that name at all. While IBM has a strong presence in Toronto, this article indicates that the New York company put down roots in 1917: www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/international-business-machines-corporation-ibm/I would like to believe that George invested well and ended up a billionaire - defying all those creepy eugenicist know-it-alls. However, he may not have gotten in on the ground floor of IBM after all. =/ |
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Post by wildhorseannie on Jun 1, 2014 19:56:13 GMT
I think George will bounce back from the scam-IBM stocks, as long as he held on the Coca-Cola, General Electric, and Standard Oil shares  |
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Post by snacky on Jun 1, 2014 23:39:14 GMT
I think George will bounce back from the scam-IBM stocks, as long as he held on the Coca-Cola, General Electric, and Standard Oil shares I had a little job this weekend which was ironically related: it included a diary of a guy who described his early working years and losing quite a bit of money in the Great Crash of 1929. However he lists some stocks that continued to thrive and how he still had his "nest egg". I think we tend to forget that when the Stock Market crashes, not all stocks go down with it, and some swiftly recover. I agree with you - George is a very wise investor. A not-so-wise investment might make an interesting episode, though. Perhaps George got a bit over-enthusiastic and needs to find an honest way to make a margin call to save the "nest egg" for his own wedding? D: |
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Post by wildhorseannie on Jun 2, 2014 0:26:05 GMT
That would be an interesting topic to cover, how the economy affects them, although the '29 crash is pretty far into the future for them. Maybe poor George will ended up selling right before the companies truly "take off." Although maybe he'll end up investing it real estate, namely a home of his own. I forget which episode it was, but there's one where he and Murdoch go to question someone and George comments on the beauty of the home and how difficult it will be to ever afford one on his salary.
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Post by snacky on Jun 2, 2014 0:44:31 GMT
That would be an interesting topic to cover, how the economy affects them, although the '29 crash is pretty far into the future for them. Maybe poor George will ended up selling right before the companies truly "take off." Although maybe he'll end up investing it real estate, namely a home of his own. I forget which episode it was, but there's one where he and Murdoch go to question someone and George comments on the beauty of the home and how difficult it will be to ever afford one on his salary. There were waves of crashes before the 29 one, including a pretty serious one after U.S. President McKinley was shot in 1901. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stock_market_crashes_and_bear_marketsI learned that from MM by the way. I wouldn't have been able to name the U.S. President at that time 6 months ago. Nor would I have cared. XD Ps. Ooh, I would like to see George by a house - and have it turn out to be nicer than the Brackenreid's. Just like he's a superior Freemason rank. There was a similar joke about this on the Adventures of Brisco County Junior. The wonderful Lord Bowler saved up to buy an epic mansion in San Francisco, complete with butler. |
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Post by lovemondays on Jun 2, 2014 1:11:00 GMT
Didn't George say he earned $1.25 per week in one episode? Being a savvy investor is one of his best hopes. I'm prepared to forgive the writers for fudging that for the sake of a great "gotcha".
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Post by wildhorseannie on Jun 2, 2014 1:12:25 GMT
Haha, I would have a hard time imagining George with a butler! Although it would make some great humor for the show  As far as the health of the American economy at the turn of the century goes...isn't it interesting the things that Murdoch has led us to learn! I actually recently became aware of the panic of 1893 through a book I picked up simply because the time period was similar to MM. Obviously that situation was prior to the start of MM, but the 1901 panic would be the perfect time frame. |
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Post by snacky on Jun 2, 2014 1:18:13 GMT
Haha, I would have a hard time imagining George with a butler! Although it would make some great humor for the show As far as the health of the American economy at the turn of the century goes...isn't it interesting the things that Murdoch has led us to learn! I actually recently became aware of the panic of 1893 through a book I picked up simply because the time period was similar to MM. Obviously that situation was prior to the start of MM, but the 1901 panic would be the perfect time frame. Actually it would be hilarious if Higgins had a butler. Especially since Higgins is sort of a butler's name. This would go with my scenario where Higgins takes up with a rich widow. I thought U.S. history was the most boring thing in the world in high school. At this point I might actually know more about early Canadian history than U.S. history. D: For trivia, I'd probably win on European and Asian, though. I'm a ridiculous buff. XD |
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Post by snacky on Jun 2, 2014 1:19:57 GMT
Didn't George say he earned $1.25 per week in one episode? Being a savvy investor is one of his best hopes. I'm prepared to forgive the writers for fudging that for the sake of a great "gotcha". I'm sure George has other ways of earning money by now, like his novels. He also tried to sell some of William's inventions. That might still be going on. It looks like he lives a frugal bachelor's life in the mean time. |
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Post by lovemondays on Jun 2, 2014 1:28:32 GMT
Absolutely right about the novels and inventions. How did I forget that? And just so we're clear, Canadian history is much worse.
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Post by wildhorseannie on Jun 2, 2014 1:28:37 GMT
lovemondays, I think you're right about George's salary...I think he mentioned it in the same episode where he commented on buying a house one day.
I always loved American history, but there's so much that you don't learn in school! In my MM-oriented research though, I found out that early police forces in Britain required bachelor officers to live in dorms/barracks. I wonder if this was ever a requirement of the Toronto constabulary. If so, I think William would have found it difficult during his constable days.
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Post by wildhorseannie on Jun 2, 2014 1:30:19 GMT
Absolutely right about the novels and inventions. How did I forget that? And just so we're clear, Canadian history is much worse. I haven't gotten to the episode where he sells the inventions, but his novels did seem to take off in "Evil Eye of Egypt." And just to clarify, Canadian history is worse in what way? |
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Post by snacky on Jun 2, 2014 1:34:46 GMT
lovemondays, I think you're right about George's salary...I think he mentioned it in the same episode where he commented on buying a house one day. I always loved American history, but there's so much that you don't learn in school! In my MM-oriented research though, I found out that early police forces in Britain required bachelor officers to live in dorms/barracks. I wonder if this was ever a requirement of the Toronto constabulary. If so, I think William would have found it difficult during his constable days. I'm just now discovering amazing books written about American cultural history. Too bad our high school teachers are stuck on The Mayflower, The Civil War, WWI, WWII, Kennedy Assassination, Congratulations You Graduate. After I'm finished with my book on secularization, I want to find one on the local history of San Francisco, when it was gold boom town "mining the miners" - full of saloons and mayhem!  |
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Post by lovemondays on Jun 2, 2014 1:41:37 GMT
Canadian history is beyond BORING! I was required to take it up through grade 10, then I picked up a European history course in grade 12. Hello, Romanov's, yuk WW I and II. I'm not naturally wired that way unless there is a great story to tell, hence I'm all over it as events pertain to MM.
Very interesting factoid about bachelor officers. I'm not aware of that practice on this side of the pond but it would make sense if they're earning so little.
You are so lucky to be seeing S5 for the first time. Some of my favourite episodes of the series are just ahead!
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Post by snacky on Jun 2, 2014 1:44:30 GMT
Canadian history is beyond BORING! I was required to take it up through grade 10, then I picked up a European history course in grade 12. Hello, Romanov's, yuk WW I and II. I'm not naturally wired that way unless there is a great story to tell, hence I'm all over it as events pertain to MM. Very interesting factoid about bachelor officers. I'm not aware of that practice on this side of the pond but it would make sense if they're earning so little. You are so lucky to be seeing S5 for the first time. Some of my favourite episodes of the series are just ahead! It sounds like Canadian and U.S. history are taught exactly the same way, and they should be showing MM episodes in school instead, and then setting kids loose in the library to find what's accurate, what's not, and why that matters. |
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